1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to disposable hot beverage brewing apparatuses, such as for coffee, tea and herbal products. More particularly, the invention relates to hot beverage disposable containers that contain filter papers that trap solids within the container yet enable fluid to pass. The liquid penetrability is defined by the cup's holes/cutting areas that allow the liquid to penetrate into a lower reservoir cup at a consumer's time limit preferences. The arrangement of how many holes or how big the cutting area will result in how long the extraction should take place (e.g. 2 minutes; 3.5 minutes; or 5 minutes).
Ultimately, this invention has been designed to provide a proper time and space to provide a stirring movement in a prepackaged 3-in-1 (i.e., coffee, sugar and powder creamer) coffee mix product that comes in a small sachet for one serving. The time and space to properly stir is critical in a 3-in-1 coffee mix preparation. Without stirring, the powder creamer that has been homogenously mixed with sugar and coffee, when in contact with hot water will form a fat layer (aka, shield effect) that prevents the hot water hard from penetrating into the rest of the mixture. As such, the 3-in-1 coffee mix will become clogged and will form a glutinous like compound which makes the extraction process improperly done. Thus, to have a brewing apparatus that allows proper stirring is important especially in a prepackaged beverage mixture that contains powder creamer as one of its major ingredients.
2. Description of Related Art
Coffee has been consumed and is known as the oldest beverage in many parts of the world. Thus, there are various devices that have been used to brew coffee. Traditionally, coffee grounds have been brewed in a coffee pot (infusion). Later on, people preferred to brew in electric drip coffee machine due to its conveniences. Moreover, due to the advance of spray-dried technology, instant coffee also has been a choice to many people. These are fair methods to enjoy a cup of coffee; however each one of them has their own drawbacks due to timing, mobility and the fullness of the taste and aroma.
In a percolator/coffee pot, a small amount of coffee grounds is repeatedly boiled to move liquid over the grounds which often gives a burnt taste and tends to also over extract the beverage. In short, percolation can contribute bitterness and astringency to the final result. Electric drip coffee machines have won the heart most average households throughout the world. However popular, such machines are not portable nor mobile enough to be used outside the house. People such as average office workers (that don't have their own coffee maker or a person that prefers a different blend from that provided), dormitory students, and long distance commuters often do not find electric drip coffee machines to be advantageous. Instant coffee is the fastest method amongst the previously mentioned methods to prepare a cup of coffee. However, the major drawback for instant coffee is that it is more expensive to make. Generally, only 1 kg of instant coffee is derived from 2 kg-2.6 kg of coffee beans. Also, many people still believe that instant coffee (processed coffee) has inferior quality in its flavoring in comparison to the natural fresh ground coffee. As such, flavor and sophistication are sacrificed for convenience.
Many brewing apparatuses for tea, coffee and herbal drink have been developed. One such apparatus (U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,781) consists of a cup receptacle with filter element that is configured to engage the ridge of an interior of the cup receptacle. This apparatus does separate the indigestible coffee ground during brewing process. However, it passes water and extracts very fast when one pours hot water into it. The apparatus cannot hold the hot water, which is required to be properly in contact with the coffee ground, for any certain amount of time. As a result the coffee beverage will definitely taste weak (i.e., under extracted). The inability to hold the hot water with a pre-mix of coffee ground, creamer and sugar even for a brief moment, also renders stirring the beverage impossible. Thus, a prepackaged 3-in-1 coffee mix is not suitable when using this apparatus. On the other hand, in order to achieve a better tasting coffee beverage, one would have to exert great patience in only pouring hot water into the apparatus repeatedly in small quantities. By standing near the brewing apparatus and repeatedly pouring small amounts of hot water during a process that could last more than 10 minutes, it is hardly a perfect or efficient way to get a decent cup of coffee beverage. Furthermore, in this configuration, the coffee grounds are placed into the cup along with the hot water for extraction. The beverage is then consumed directly from the cup, the filter element maintaining the coffee grounds within the cup and preventing consumption thereof. However, maintaining the coffee grounds within the cup will result in over extraction and spoil the coffee taste and aroma. The correct extraction process requires not more than the recommended time (4 to 8 minutes depending on the coffee ground coarseness). When it takes too long, as in the case of the '781 patent, more unfavorable ingredients that will cause bitterness to the taste and some astringent smell that spoil the coffee aroma will get extracted, thus degraded the coffee beverage.
Releasing hot steam heat trapped during the brewing process is a crucial step. It is especially important when the receptacle employs a telescoping assembly that sits on the reservoir cup. Such assembly creates a firm mount on the brewer cup but, on the other hand, it leaves no escape route for the hot steam created from the pouring of near-boiling hot water. The trapped heat will accumulate beneath the assembly and form resistant forces in pushing the heat up, thus, slowing or interfering the beverage dripping process generated by gravity forces. In moderate condition, it slows the beverage dripping process but it can even immobilize the process in an extreme condition depending upon the degree of the hot water being used and material used in filtering. One of such apparatus that does not have a hot steam releasing vent for the mounted beverage brewer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,716.
Many brewing devices have failed to accommodate pre mix or prepackaged beverages such as 3-in-1 coffee mix and 3-in-1 tea mix. It is because many of the brewing devices have been ignoring the critical need of stirring, during preparation, of such product containing powder creamer as one of its major ingredients. One brewing method that uses a filter paper pouch or bag is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,581. This is an example of how difficult, if not impossible, it is to get the 3-in-1 coffee mix or tea mixture (presumably contained in the pouch) thoroughly diluted and extracted. This is due to the fat from the powder creamer creating a shield effect that prevents the hot water from further penetrating into the rest of the mixture. A product in this category can be categorized as a closed-brewing system. In this system, the user is not allowed to perform any kind of modification on the product. This system offers no flexibility to the user either to add or to reduce, for instance, the quantity of the coffee grounds into the pouch/bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,830 discloses a brewing apparatus that employed an open-brewing-system that offers a user more flexibility either to add or to reduce, for instance, the quantity of the coffee ground, sugar or powder creamer into the beverage. However, a supporting stick/rod in the middle of a top opening has made it uneasy or troublesome for the user in performing a proper stirring motion during beverage preparation.
Each of the prior patents described, has shown one or more drawbacks which make them until now not a mass product or efficient method to brew “coffee to go”. The invention improves upon the other deficiencies inherent in the prior art and yields an inexpensive, novel, disposable, flexible, mobile, easy to utilize, more accurate (based on brewing time recommendations from coffee experts) brewing apparatus for the public.